The Young Entrepreneur Gets A MacBook
Remember a few months ago when I told you about someone spilling a drink on my one and only laptop during my New Year’s Eve party? Well, it’s been nearly 3 months and last week I was finally united with another computer – my new baby black MacBook.
Wow, it’s like I stepped into the light after switching from PC to Mac. The entire experience is so different. Everything seems slicker, easier to use, more intuitive, and all around “just better.”
I’m definitely lovin’ my new Mac and I can’t see myself purchasing another PC in my life. It’s great to be back in the swing of things after these past few months of traveling back to my former college’s computer lab, borrowing my friend’s computer, and basically signing online wherever I could: libraries, back home (Long Island), internet cafes, etc…
I learned a few lessons throughout this experience, but the most important was to “keep on moving no matter what.” When something such as your computer gets fried, you better become opportunistic and find anyway to continue your work.
Also, “don’t be afraid to ask for help.” I was lucky enough to have good friends and family who I was able to depend on during my time without a computer. Without them, my life would have been a living hell. Thanks guys, much appreciated.
So let’s hear it: are many of you young entrepreneurs using Macs or are you loyal PC users? There’s a poll running on MP Nation so head on over and vote.
18 Comments
Aaron
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:23 pm
I’m tempted to buy an Apple when I get my new computer but I’m still hesitant. I think they make great stuff but for business compatibility and price I don’t know if I can yet buy an Apple.
My businesses are mostly offline so I need certain software that I don’t know is compatible with Mac. I guess I should look into that.
Then there’s price. Macs are more expensive.
Lawrence of a USA
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:27 pm
lol…what were you doing bringing a laptop to a new year’s eve party?
that’s too chaotic of an environment for a laptop, to say the least
…i guess you had it comming (lol, no offense)
i’m a pc person.
the pc is too mainstream for me to step away from.
i use the pc - and that’s that, mostly for basic stuff - and games too. mac has a learning curve, so to speak, and can be a pain - because it’s not so much mainstream as the pc…software-wise, hardware-wise, etc etc
but the few people who do have macs, they’re very loyal - and love it…it’s almost like a cult-like following dare i say
to put this scenario in car terms:
the pc is like the corvette…the common man’s sportscar, at an affordable price, mass produced - it’s great for the masses.
the mac is like a porsche…you have to pay a slightly higher premium, has a loyal fan base, fewer produced…but it’s arguably a better engineered product.
David Askaripour
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Aaron, yeah they are def more expensive. After using one for a week now, I think that the premium paid made sense. Everything is so much easier. I think mac follows the philosophy: “less is more.”
Anyways, you can dedicate a portion of your HD to install window if you’d like. I actually installed microsoft office on my mac (used the CD) and it’s working out great. I love my word.
Lawrence… yup, it was stupid. You live and you learn, eh? Never let drunk people in your room — hehe…
I’ll take a porsche over a corvette any day
Now join the mac cult! OR ELSE….
Anthony
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 am
Macs are great and all, but they’re expensive and lack the compatibility of a PC. Also, as far as the slick, intuitive and overall better experience - have you used Windows Vista on a newer machine? It’s really pretty great. I’m running Windows Vista on an Intel dual core with 3 GB of RAM. The operating itself is much better than XP - dare I say a near Mac replica - and the system runs smooth without any lag. All that for a fraction of what a Mac costs. And one of the best advantages, in my opinion, is that a PC is easily upgradeable with niche-y hardware (try setting up a TV tuner, or a special sound card, etc, for Mac, and you will quickly realize the options are much fewer at a much higher cost).
Don’t get me wrong, I love Mac - I’m not one of those people that pick a side. In fact, I work with Macs quite frequently. But I’ve always been one step away from owning one myself. Unless you are going to own BOTH a Mac AND a PC, then as a business decision, it’s not a smart one because I think it’s important to use what your customers use - for the sake of compatibility, for the sake of a shared experience, etc. Especially as a web development company, developing on the Mac only to have 95% of my users view a website on a Windows system would be the equivalent of Ford only testing their trucks in a closed environment and never taking them on any major highways before release. Just doesn’t make sense.
- Anthony
David Askaripour
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:43 am
To be honest, it’s pretty disturbing to see the “blatant” resemblances of Mac OS on Vista. Geez… will Mr. Softy ever have an original idea for once?
No doubt, I hear ya Anthony. I am, by no means, a PC hater just because I switched over. PCs are powerful and in some ways, offer a better selection of software.
However, after comparing the two platforms… MACs, to me, are simply more “creative” and intuitive. There are just some many more “WOWS” for me when using a Mac.
Actually, I’m sure that there are tons of web dev companies out there that solely use Macs. In fact, I’ve worked for one. Remember, you can run a windows on a Mac if needed, very easily.
Anthony
March 24th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Dave,
Original ideas aren’t necessarily what make a good product/business. MS copies. Yup. But they also make a product with more software & hardware options, a much cheaper base price, and features which improve upon what Apple has created- at least if you’re using it for business. For example - I use Remote Desktop on Windows, so that from any other standard Windows system anywhere in the world, I can actually type in an address and a password, and see my home computer as if I was sitting right in front of it. No extra software/cost required; it’s built in. As a business owner that is constantly on the go, it is one of the most valuable tools I use on a daily basis. Try doing that with a Mac.
Google didn’t exactly invent the concept of AdWords - companies like Overture have been around much longer. But I don’t see any Overture/Yahoo ads on MP or its member blogs. Know why? Because the execution & refinement of the idea is more important than the idea itself. Google created a better service, even though there are many blatant resemblances to the services that came before it.
And yes, I agree, Macs are more creative & intuitive, but at the end of the day, I don’t use my computer for the “wow” factor - I use it to get things done in the most efficient way possible. We’re running businesses here, right?
And lastly, as a web development company, at least one with limited resources that has to choose between systems, it is far easier to develop and test on Windows than on Mac. Also keep in mind that running a Windows on a Mac is not as ideal as it sounds. For one thing, you’ll need to pay for a separate Windows license (so add that to the cost of your already overpriced Mac). On top of that, Mac only officially supports Windows XP. In other words, you can’t put the latest version of Windows on there without a huge hassle.
Anyway. All of that being said, I’m not a Mac hater. In fact, I love Mac. But there’s a time and a place for everything. There’s a reason Mac positions itself as the home user’s operating system while making Windows seem like the “evil” operating system for business. Well, evil or not, they got one thing right - Windows is better for business. Mac admits it, and as a young entrepreneur, you should take Mac’s own advice - buy a Mac platform for yourself, but not for your business.
David Askaripour
March 24th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
True. But even so, there’s something to be said for blatant rip-offs. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
No extra software, yes. But it’s only a matter of taking 30 seconds on a high speed connection to download a simple client with a mac. I actually signed onto my friends Mac to use “Pages” several times using such a client and it was perfect.
No, I can’t fully agree. Most people “are” using their systems to do “creative and intuitive” things. People want the “wow” factors. In terms of efficiency, well, that’s a subjective matter. People, based upon what business their involved with, will define efficiency in different ways. For “you” the PC may be most efficient. But, from my, possibly biased opinion, most entrepreneurs (re: young entrepreneurs) are running “services” that people subscribe to, not web dev such as your business. And in that respect, the questions is…. why not use a Mac?
Anthony
March 24th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Well, I don’t think Windows is a blatant rip-off. If you used Vista and dug deep into some of the new features, you’d realize that a good amount of it is Mac-esque, but it’s certainly not Mac.
As far as the Remote Desktop client goes - there’s nothing like a piece of software that’s integrated into an operating system. Sure, you can download a 3rd party application for Mac. However, it is not nearly as good as Remote Desktop for Windows in terms of responsivenes, file sharing, dual monitor support, etc etc. And, in addition, you need to download the application on the CLIENT computer as well as the host. Whereas with Remote Desktop, I can simply go to the Start menu on any standard Windows system and connect to my own computer. Additionally, the client is built into PDA’s, smartphones, etc, so I can login to my desktop from my phone or nearly any other Microsoft-powered device I want (I don’t see Apple doing things like that - even with the iPhone, so I guess Microsoft does innovate after all).
And in terms of efficiency, I actually agree. The definition is different for everybody. But you’re asking me why someone running a “service” that poeple subscribe to shouldn’t use a Mac? Well, as a business, you need to run some standard business apps, at least once you grow large enough. Let’s talk about accounting. Two of the most common packages for small business: PeachTree and QuickBooks. Only QuickBooks supports Mac. I’ve been a PeachTree user for years and believe it is much better. So much for that if I’m on a Mac, huh? Same goes for many wireless sync clients, such as the one I use to sync up my Verizon phone to Outlook. Oh well, so much for mobile communication as well!
Point is - It just doesn’t make sense, as a small business, to go with Mac when it (a) is more expensive, (b) limits your software choices (thus forcing you to go with more expensive and/or mediocre solutions, or no solution at all), and (c) does not have some great business tools built in such as Remote Desktop. And sure, some of that is subjective. But you know what? Aside from creative industries such as film, music, graphic arts, etc, 99% of businesses I know would never even think of using/deploying Macs as business computers, because they’re not. Which is exactly why none of Mac’s marketing tries to sell it as such.
Luc Arnold
March 25th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Congrats on the new MAC… i am pretty sure that my next computer will be a MAC. Really the only thing that has held me from buying one is the price.
I currently run a desktop(custom built) and laptop (Dell 640m) but i could see myself buying a MAC in the next little while… did you get the PRO version or the regular version David? Talk to you soon,
Luc
JDsBlog » Blog Archive » Mind Sparks
March 26th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
[...] one to the dark side :0) I might be [...]
David Askaripour
March 26th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Anthony, great chatting with you about the benefits and negatives of Mac and PCs — always a pleasure
David Askaripour
March 26th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Luc, thanks. I got the MacBook 13 inch black version. I was going to go with the PRO 15 inch, but it didn’t really make sense when I know that I’m going to get an iMac before the year is up. Plus, I’m in love with the black version… it has a spaced-out keyboard and comes with a larger HD than the white MacBook.
Ryan Glasgow
March 28th, 2007 at 5:58 am
Wow David, I have (and am typing this with) the exact same computer! I made the switch about 6 months ago and have never looked back. Heh. I do all of my design work on it, and love the trackpad so much I never use an external mouse. I think it’s funny that most designers hook up big 24″ flat screen monitors and nice digital mice to their laptops, yet I just use the laptop itself.
David Askaripour
March 28th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Ryan, right on! MacBookers unite! Yeah, I love this black Mac… don’t you just live the spaced out keyboard. Yeah, I may get the iMac instead in the near future if I want to go the large screen route.
Anthony
March 29th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
This post is for Dave’s chi: I’m getting a MacBook for myself. Doesn’t mean I’ll be switching over my business computers ANY time soon, simply because it’s not feasible in terms of software compatibility. But you know what? The recent buzz and this post has at least inspired me to buy a better OS/system for my own personal use.
Eric
March 30th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
I bought a MacBook last year (a white one, just FYI) and absolutely love it. I will never go back to Windows, I refuse to install it on my Mac too.
How much RAM is in yours? I can’t overstate how much putting 2GB of RAM in improves the whole experience. If you want to get some advice on where to get good aftermarket RAM for cheap, hit me up.
Aren’t you excited about computing again? Feels good huh? I LOVE IT! I even bought my wife one for Christmas because it’s just that cool.
David Askaripour
March 31st, 2007 at 10:48 am
Awesome, Eric! Yeah, I’ll never go back to Windows, either. Or at least I highly doubt it.
I have 1GB and plan to upgrade to 2GBs in the next week or so. What company did you go with for your RAM?
Very excited!
David Askaripour
April 21st, 2007 at 12:27 pm
WOW, this just goes to show how much the BOTH of us didn’t know about the Mac OS X (me and Anthony).
Remember how we argued that mac doesn’t have built-in software to remotely connect to other PCs or Mac?
Well… it does and it’s amazing. Simply press Apple K and you can simply type on the IP to remotely connect. You can even connect to PCs by using smb:// and… if that wasn’t enough… you can set up your Mac so that PC users can access folders off your HD.
Rock on, MAC!!
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